THE TURF

Evening Star, Issue 17311, 26 March 1920, Page 7

THE TURF

[Gossip by Old Identity.] Warlike, missed a lot of money for his backors by losing the Southland Cup. Eia followers thought he could not be beaten. It is reported from Taxanaki that Mr Bruce, Jollj a recent addition to the ranks of owners, has purchased the imported horse Arrowsmith for something like 4,000 guineas. '' A feature of the present steeplechasing season in England has been the success of Lady Wilton as "an owner. With four horses, named Annoya, Hedu, Expeditious, and Taffytus, Lady Wilton has won eight races in less than a month. Lady Wilton is the daughter of Mr William Peterson, a" wealthy shipping magnate, who bought the big estate of Eigg, an island in the Hebrides, in 1916. She was married to Lord Wilton in 1917.

An alteration, has been effected at the famous Tattenham Corner, on the Epsom (England) course. This, remarks an English writer, has always had the reputation of being dangerous, and, with a view to removing any actual danger there may be, the irregular nature of the curve at this cornor has been altered. Now there is an absolute curve—an absolute segment of a circle. The Masterton Autumn Handicap brought out five runners, including the bracketed pair Wishful and Multaine. " Sir Lancelot" reports that Dainty Step was actual favorite, while Red Ribbcn was better supported than Rose Wreath, who went down short. The latter went out to make the pace, and was in front for six furlongs, where Dainty Step.got her head in front. The field was bunched at the turn, where Rose Wreath started to go back. Halfway down Red Ribbon drew out and won comfortably from Dainty Step, who had to be kept going to beat Multaine for second money. W. Garrett informed me that Red Ribbon had not done well since the fall she had at Auckland at Christmas. She had nothing much to beat on Saturday. It was Dainty Step's first appearance hj open company, and, considering it was her first attempt over a distance of ground, she ran quite well. There were only four runners in tl « Stewards' Handicap at Masterkm, Penury Rose being made favorite owing to Affect action going down very short in his preliminary. The ' Dominion' says that the last-named jumped out in front, and led all the way, winning by three lengths. There was a good race 'for second place between Scornful and Matatua, and the former got the position by half a length. Penury Rose, who does not go well on top of the ground, was beaten off. Affectation seems to be backward, and his performance was not impressive enough for his success in the St. Leger at Ellerslie. In collecting a racing team to carrv his colors this autumn, the New Soutli Wales sportsman Mr Anthony Hordern is credited with having invested about £12,000 in the purchase of some half-dozen horses. Arrowsmith has been awarded 8.8 in the Doncaster Handicap, which is to be decided at Bandwick on April 3. An Italian sportsman has written a book upon what he calls the mentality of the horse, the main contention being that the horse is an inelligent animal, and that if we humans will only appeal to or make use of the intelligence of the equines we shall be rewarded by a readv response to our wishes. There is in the'book a chapter devoted to what the author calls the eccentricities of horses. According to him, more often than not these " eccentricities " are merely the outward manifestations of a process of reasoning on the part of the horse—reasoning which, be it false or true. we ought to be able to understand, and soj if necessary, correct by appealing to the intelligence of the animal. A well-known English authority, in referring to the book, remarks thus: " I so far agree with the author of this book as to be convinced that horses in general are intelligent, even reasoning, animals, and that, as with us, so with them, there are varying degrees of intelligence. - A good many years ago I became possessed of a mare upon whose hack I managed to remain while in her own way she won quite a lot of steeplechases, among them one of the biggest cross-country affairs on the other side of the Channel. Now, that mare did think— thought a great deal. If running on a course she knew she would just give a hoist of her quarters en leaving the paddock, and then canter down to the start in the most business-like fashion. On a course she did not know she would stand stock still when she got out on the track, looking all round as well as she could. Until satisfied in her own mind nothing would induce her to move ; then she would go on, evidently still thinking, and if not satisfied would pull up again and have another look round. I came to the conclusion that she was. in fact, trying to locate in her brain the whereabouts of the fences. But she became mine simply because of her ' eccentric' disposition."